Matt 5:21-26
Notes
Transcript
ANGER AND HATE WILL KILL YOU
ANGER AND HATE WILL KILL YOU
If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.
We live in a world that hates.
We live in a world that hates.
Politics
Race
Religion
We are not allowed to hate because that other person is an image-bearer of God.
If they are alive then they have worth. period.
Illustration: Five dollars is worth five dollars even if it is dirty.
"I have decided to stick with love. Hate is too great a burden to bear.” Martin Luther King Jr
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.
“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’
That was a really low bar. How will you treat the people around you? Well dont kill them.
SO if you mistreated someone what does it relaly matter? You did not kill them.
As followers of Jesus we need to stop setting low bars for ourselves. And frankly we are stumbling over these low bars.
We think well i need to go to church and I need to, read my Bible some, adn I need t be a good person. Wow. No.
Jesus in the sermon on the mount he is taking things to the next level. Jesus is calling for you and I to live a radically changed life the flows from a changed heart.
That when you are saved, your life will look like the sermon on the mount. How many of you lived the sermon on the mount this week?
We must stop setting low bars and start living a life that reflects who we follow.
But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.
In the first verse in 21 we see that if you kill sermon under the law you have to stand before a group of men. But Jesus is saying that is the least of your worries.
If you disrespect a person, even with your words, you are libel to eternal judgment.
Man can only do so much to you. God judges for eternity.
See man has set the low bar for valuing human life. Did you kill them? Okay.
God loves and cares for every person Because they are created in his image.
The law says that you have to stand before man for judgment if you murder, the heart of the law says that you will stand before God because of your careless words, and your anger, and your hate.
So God created man in his own image,
in the image of God he created him;
male and female he created them.
We cannot hate and disrespect anyone because they are image-bearers of God our Father.
You may really like your your dog. You may absolute adore your pets. But it is ingrained in us that any human life is more valuable than that animals life. Why? Because that animal is a creation of God but not made in the image of God.
We must respect people and love people all people because they are made in the image of God.
Well but Adam some people are just getting what they deserve. They put themselves in a situation, They did this and that. No, you know what you deserve? Do you know what you have earned on your own? Death and separation from God?
And sometimes we say well people get what they deserve. Some people have forfeited the right to be treated respectfully. Lies! You have been treated better than you deserve. You have been forgiven. You deserve nothing on your own works.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Jesus steps in and saves us. Praise God we do not get what we deserve.
Illustration: Know this right now if you call my sons empty-headed. We will throw hands. Those are fighting words. I will have a hard time turning the other cheek.
In the same way when we show disrespect to those around us we need to know we are disrespecting a loved creation of God.
So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.
Your relationship with God cannot be right unless your relationship with man is right. If you want peace with your heavenly father then you need to seek peace with your neighbor.
If you are fighting with a brother then tings are not okay. Things are not right.
What does that look like for our church? You are not allowed to simply coexist in this space. We are a family here. If you have a problem within these walls you need to get it right.
It will drag our church down if we let squabbles fester. You are not allowed to just stay away from your family members.
Darts at your enemies end up hurting God.
“Returning hate for hate multiplies hate, adding deeper darkness to a night already devoid of stars. Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” -Martin Luther King Jr.